Chain Off has been held annually
around the 4th of July since 2004, highlighting the reality that while
Americans are celebrating their own freedom, there are tens
of thousands of Man's Best Friends in every state who are still
not free: America's chained and penned dogs. These dogs
are found in backyards stretching from Delaware to Alaska, from
Maine to Hawaii, throughout the provinces of Canada, and
in countries around the world.

In addition to being our biggest
awareness campaign of the year, this
is also our biggest fundraising campaign of the year, last
year raising almost $13,000 for our work with chained and penned
dogs, and this year raising just under $10,000. If you believe in our work and want to support our campaigns and rescue of chained dogs, please donate now to keep the organization moving forward. We are grateful for all donations, regardless of size, and your support is very much needed and appreciated.

Photos and Article Links from Chain Off 2012

DDB Founder and CEO Tamira Thayne undertook a Ten Day Capitol Doghouse Tour for the event, adding 72 hours for a total of 808 hours she has spent on the chain advocating for chained dogs. The tour went through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York. As hard as it is to imagine spending 808 hours on a chain, just imagine how many hours an average chained dogs spends in his/her lifetime! A dog who lives 11 years and spends every hour of that lifetime on a chain will be chained for 96,360 hours.

Below, see a video about the tour, and read some of the articles and news pieces from our visits to PA, NJ, MD, VA, CT, RI, MA, NH, and NY. Continue to scroll for other events nationwide which have reported in with photos and article links, including Colorado, North Carolina, New Mexico, Florida, and Missouri.

Said Theresa "We were there from 8a.m.- 4p.m., the turn out was great. We got a lot of positive feedback. A lot of people didn't know this program existed and helped out tremendously by donating. I want to thank everyone who came out, supported me and those who donated." Read the article here.

In New Mexico

Jean Gilbert, member/volunteer of Humane Society of Southern NM, ACTion Programs for Animals, & Community Coalition for Pets & People, organized a Chain Off in NM.

Said Jean, "About a dozen people braved the heat with signs on June 30, or came as visitors- some with their dogs- to say hello, and supported the Dogs Deserve Better "Chain-Off". The event was a success for the media interest generated and for the terrific response from people in the heavy traffic converging at the intersection near Albert Johnson Park. Participants were inspired by the many passers-by giving enthusiastic honks and waves, with thumbs-up out their car windows, for the important anti-chaining message. The loud blast from the semi truck driver rocked everyone and rated high on the scale for enthusiasm and support! Pictured is Anna Juarez, with dog Apollo, & Livvy Solomon participate in the Las Cruces "Dogs Deserve Better Chain-Off" at Albert Johnson Park."

Melody reported, "DDB Reps spent the day at the State Capitol....we received incredible coverage. The first link is an intro piece taken before the sun came up. The second link is coverage and an interview. We had the lead in story and the closing segment. The local newspaper took pics as well!

I held a poster that I made in honor of Patchie, the DDB Missouri Mascot, it stated "In Memory of Patchie" Chained 10 years. Session was closed at the Capitol but many visitors were there and we talked to lots of people and handed out brochures."

Sheila wrote: "First I want to say that I have a new found respect for you (Tami) after doing my first Chain Off on friday. I think I've finally recovered, still a little stiff and sore, and thought I was close to a heat stroke, but made it to the end. I did it one 8 hour day, you have done it many times for many hours and I have great respect for you for it!"

From Carla Wilson "Here are a couple of pics from Saturday's chain off in Jacksonville. Fox and Cbs news came out and chatted with us, lots of people came by in show of support!! Pictured are Bryan Wilson (passed anti chaining leg in Seminole County, FL in 2012) and Nancy McDavid ( passed anti chaining leg in Lake County, FL in 2012)."

Shari writes, "We held a small chain off in Mitchell Park in Greensboro, NC. This is the city that I believe will be the next one in the area to vote in a tethering ordinance. This is me and a friend, Shawn Martin chained at the park from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on July 8th, 2012. There was a foot path to the left and front and we got quite a bit of traffic and people asking questions, etc. I handed out at least 20 brochures and found a few people interested in volunteering for fence builds."

Robin writes: "The Hartford CT Chain Off Day consisted of Tamira Thayne, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, myself as the rep for CT and my volunteer Brittany. While the Capital in Hartford CT was beautiful, there was no foot traffic at all. Very few people walked by and we were nowhere near the cars except the parked ones in the lot. The good news was that we got terrific coverage by a local Fox television station who did an extended interview with Tami and later aired the piece with all kinds of information about Dogs Deserve Better. From the point of view of people noticing us, they certainly noticed us if they watched television the evening of July 9. Spreading the word of the cruelty in chaining and penning dogs was a success that day."

Robin continues, "The July 11, 2012 Boston MA Chainoff was spectacular. The heat was about 95 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. We truly understood how the chained and penned dogs suffer in the heat of the summer. Tamira Thayne, founder of Dogs Deserve Better was joined by me, the MA rep for the organization and Marybeth McClusky a volunteer dog foster for us. Marybeth was born and raised in MA and had the true Beantown spirit. She was out on the street getting trucks to honk for us and really raising the awareness of all the passers-by. We stood and sat and sweated for chained and penned dogs everywhere. Later in the day the new owners of a formerly chained dog they adopted thru Dogs Deserve Better showed up with wonderful posters of Cowboy before and after. All in all it was a great day for the dogs we care so much about."

Yvonne writes: "Arriving in Annapolis on July 5 for the Chain-off 2012 was very hot that day, probably 101 degrees according to the weather man. No one was in session that day. I was eager to help talk to anyone coming out of the building. There were tourist in the area who some were eager to know what we were doing. I told someone walking by that I was chained to a dog house because I want to help in changing the Tethering Laws in Maryland. Animals should not be kept outside chained up especially in this heat. I enjoyed talking with Tami about the rescue and the county shelter I volunteer for. Maryland needs to step up and change the laws for dogs that are chained! Neglecting a dog on a chain is cruelty. I have seen the dogs come into the shelter that have or have had embedded collars. Also the chains. As I was sitting in the heat, towards the end of the day, I thought about the dogs, and yes puppies, that had no water or shade and were chained 24-7. No animal deserves to be chained! I did this for the dogs on chains that have "NO VOICE". The 8 hours that I was there is not long enough with all the suffering the chain dogs endure. I will do it again next year. I will be there voice."